In May of 2006, the city of Amsterdam welcomed its floating namesake as Holland America's Amsterdam docked at the downtown Passenger Terminal for a two-day visit. On the last leg of a transatlantic positioning voyage that took her from New York to Copenhagen, Amsterdam attracted many onlookers during her stay in the city she was named after. 

Amsterdam and her sister Rotterdam are the two ships in the Holland America fleet that have most inherited a piece of the Holland America history. Named after the two largest Dutch cities, the atmosphere on these two ships is a little more worldly and a little less glitzy than on other Holland America ships. With their well-balanced profiles, raked bows, priceless antique art collections and twin upright funnels, they are an interesting mix of the old and the new.  Ship Parade visited Amsterdam as the ship was teeming with friends and family members of  the Dutch crew members. We quickly developed a sympathy for this handsome, traditional cruise ship that is exquisitely maintained and boasts a beautiful art collection that is themed after Amsterdam. The city, that is. .